An agent I sometimes work with just sent around a notice to his list about a guy looking for someone to ghostwrite his memoir. "This is an incredible opportunity," the agent assures us, "for a writer enthusiastic about the subject matter."
I am not that writer. And I'm having a bit of trouble processing the idea that my agent is that agent. "The subject matter," you see, is organized crime—one particular subset of it. So that "competitive compensation" the memoirist promises? We're safe to assume he didn't get it by selling Bibles to old ladies.
My agent writes, "We expect a huge response from this listing." Of course they do. Gangster books beget gangster movies, TV shows, royalty checks. And let's not forget the bragging rights. You could dine out for the rest of your life on "the time the gangster told me..." But as the writer who sets that chain in motion, how can you separate the stories you're telling from the real people whose lives were ruined (or at least changed, not for the better) by the colorful old man paying your fee?
Yes, it's business. "Just" business. The book will be
written, the money's going to go somewhere, so why not be the person doing the writing, or the agent taking
in the commission? It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, that's all.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Of baseball and business (diversity edition)
Baseball Hall-of-Famer Monte Irvin just died. Never heard of him? He not only helped the New York Giants get to two World Series, he also mentored one
of their up-and-coming players, an outfielder you may have heard of named Willie Mays. But Mr. Irvin played for nearly a dozen years before joining the Giants. Before that, he had been relegated to the "Negro Leagues."
A couple of decades ago, I had a client named Irvin. He happened to be an African American and I knew he'd been raised in the same town as Monte Irvin, so I asked if they were related. Yes, indeed—he was surprised I recognized the name, but I'm a baseball fan. So the elder Mr. Irvin made a guest appearance in a speech I wrote for his nephew. Here's an excerpt; you can read more of it on my website:
Major League Baseball signed Mr. Irvin at the ripe old age of 30; the man considered perhaps the greatest pitcher in the Negro Leagues, Satchel Paige, was 42 when he joined the majors. Paige pitched for nearly a dozen more years, but his best games were behind him. So much talent, consigned to relative obscurity. And how many more potential baseball stars aged out of the game before the Major Leagues opened their doors to players of color?
There's a lesson there, and not just for baseball fans. Talent deserves to shine. And it's not an unlimited resource—businesses can't afford to waste the talents of their people, no matter who they are. We've made progress since I wrote that speech. But I can't help wondering how many Monte Irvins and Satchel Paiges the business world has lost: how many talented women and people of color never got the opportunities they deserved, the opportunities to shine—and to lead.
A couple of decades ago, I had a client named Irvin. He happened to be an African American and I knew he'd been raised in the same town as Monte Irvin, so I asked if they were related. Yes, indeed—he was surprised I recognized the name, but I'm a baseball fan. So the elder Mr. Irvin made a guest appearance in a speech I wrote for his nephew. Here's an excerpt; you can read more of it on my website:
Cultures change slowly. Let me remind you that nearly 50 years after Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, there's still not a single African American running a baseball team. And African American executives have been in the financial industry a lot shorter time than that.Yes, it's an old speech: the corporate world doesn't throw pitches at its diverse employees anymore, not so blatantly. And it recognizes many forms of diversity, including LGBT people. But when it comes to leadership roles, are diverse professional relegated to the "farm team" longer than the majority folks in the pipeline? For some organizations, in some industries, the answer may still be yes.
My uncle was a major league baseball player—he played in the old Negro Leagues and later for the New York Giants. He could tell you that lots of African American players got hit by pitches—“accidentally,” of course—after the leagues were integrated. But it happened a lot less when a team had an African American pitcher on the mound.
It works the same way in the business world. The progress we make against racism in the workplace has a direct relationship to the positions that African Americans play on the team. As more African Americans take leadership positions and sit on Boards of Directors, more companies will stop throwing pitches at their African American employees.
Major League Baseball signed Mr. Irvin at the ripe old age of 30; the man considered perhaps the greatest pitcher in the Negro Leagues, Satchel Paige, was 42 when he joined the majors. Paige pitched for nearly a dozen more years, but his best games were behind him. So much talent, consigned to relative obscurity. And how many more potential baseball stars aged out of the game before the Major Leagues opened their doors to players of color?
There's a lesson there, and not just for baseball fans. Talent deserves to shine. And it's not an unlimited resource—businesses can't afford to waste the talents of their people, no matter who they are. We've made progress since I wrote that speech. But I can't help wondering how many Monte Irvins and Satchel Paiges the business world has lost: how many talented women and people of color never got the opportunities they deserved, the opportunities to shine—and to lead.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Quote-Unquote
I recently came across this post on "How to Use Quote in Your Speech." I'm assuming you don't need convincing about the benefits of using quotations—if you do, check out an earlier post of mine on the subject. I agree with a lot of what this writer says, but of course I have my own opinions too. Hope you find these helpful:
1. Make sure you get the phrasing correct.
Absolutely. But if you present the quotation as a piece of wisdom you've carried with you for years, don't read it from your notes. I once watched in horror—on live TV, no less—when my client spoke about something Abraham Lincoln said as the guiding principle of his life. And then he looked down at his notes. Guiding principles live in your hearts, people, not on paper. I knew right then he was sunk.
3. Beware quoting out-of-context.
I once saw a Bible-Quote-of-the-Day calendar with a little gem that went something like "Worship me and all the riches of the earth will be yours." (I'm paraphrasing.) Problem: That wasn't God talking in the Bible story; it was Satan. So yes, check the source. And check the backstory too. That Chinese saying "May you live in interesting times" had a big resurgence after the financial crisis hit in 2007. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant as a blessing—it's a curse.
4. Quote a well-known expert in the field.
Yes...and no. The writer says "Quote Aristotle on philosophy or Serena Williams on tennis—doing the opposite gets you in trouble." But if you are not credible quoting Aristotle, you'll only seem like a fraud. Much better to quote something philosophical that Serena Williams said—especially if you're speaking to tennis fans. I've blogged about this before, here.
17. Quotation compilations keep quotes within arm’s reach.
The writer recommends Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. It's the first place everyone turns when they're looking for a quotation—and that's exactly why you want to avoid it. I also do my best to avoid Online quotation search engines—his tip #19—for the same reason. The surest way to find something fresh to quote is to keep your own quote file, making note of interesting and inspiring things you read.
1. Make sure you get the phrasing correct.
Absolutely. But if you present the quotation as a piece of wisdom you've carried with you for years, don't read it from your notes. I once watched in horror—on live TV, no less—when my client spoke about something Abraham Lincoln said as the guiding principle of his life. And then he looked down at his notes. Guiding principles live in your hearts, people, not on paper. I knew right then he was sunk.
3. Beware quoting out-of-context.
I once saw a Bible-Quote-of-the-Day calendar with a little gem that went something like "Worship me and all the riches of the earth will be yours." (I'm paraphrasing.) Problem: That wasn't God talking in the Bible story; it was Satan. So yes, check the source. And check the backstory too. That Chinese saying "May you live in interesting times" had a big resurgence after the financial crisis hit in 2007. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant as a blessing—it's a curse.
4. Quote a well-known expert in the field.
Yes...and no. The writer says "Quote Aristotle on philosophy or Serena Williams on tennis—doing the opposite gets you in trouble." But if you are not credible quoting Aristotle, you'll only seem like a fraud. Much better to quote something philosophical that Serena Williams said—especially if you're speaking to tennis fans. I've blogged about this before, here.
17. Quotation compilations keep quotes within arm’s reach.
The writer recommends Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. It's the first place everyone turns when they're looking for a quotation—and that's exactly why you want to avoid it. I also do my best to avoid Online quotation search engines—his tip #19—for the same reason. The surest way to find something fresh to quote is to keep your own quote file, making note of interesting and inspiring things you read.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Words of Thanks
Words shape my life—whether I'm writing them or reading them. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd offer a list of some of the writers I'm grateful for this year.
Roger Angell: If you're a baseball fan you probably already know he's one of the most colorful and insightful chroniclers of the sport there is. And if you're not a baseball fan, his essays will turn you into one—or at least teach you how the game works. Although my Mets lost the World Series this year, I'm grateful that The New Yorker gave Angell some of its digital real estate to write about it.
MB Caschetta: I spend most of my recreational reading time in periodicals (The New Yorker, Vanity Fair) or nonfiction. But when I had a few days to myself this summer, I plopped myself in a comfy corner and read Caschetta's multiple award-winning first novel, Miracle Girls. Funny, evocative, and moving.
Lin-Manuel Miranda: I saw Hamilton at the Public Theater in February, having bought the last two tickets to that performance about four months earlier. Here's a link to the video that convinced me I had to see it, Lin-Manuel Miranda performing the opening number solo at the White House. Amazing, right? But the fully staged production blew me away. At the end of the performance I attended—three days before the reviews came out—the entire audience leapt to its feet simultaneously. This was not one of those typical New Yorker "let me be the first to get to a taxi" standing O's. It was not a "the people in front of me stood up and now I can't see anything unless I stand too" ovation. It was—for me at least—an acknowledgement that everyone from the writer (Miranda, now a MacArthur-certified "genius") to the performers (Miranda again, alongside a diverse cast of first-rate actor/singer/dancers) had conjured brilliance on that stage. And I would never be able to look at a musical the same way again.
Ron Chernow: I read his House of Morgan decades ago, so already I knew about his amazing power to bring the past to life. But after I saw Hamilton the musical, I had to read the book that started it all.
Lisa Kron: She's made me laugh since I first saw her maybe 30 years ago in her one-woman show 101 Most Humiliating Stories. She's made me cry plenty, too. And laugh-cry at the same time. What would that be, craugh? As hard and as lonely as it is to be a writer sometimes, Kron has kept telling her stories and this year her story-telling won her two Tony Awards—one for writing the book of the remarkable, ground-breaking musical Fun Home and the other for the score, for which she wrote the lyrics with Jeanine Tesori supplying the music. If you were one of the dozen people watching the Tony telecast, you didn't see these awards—they were presented during the commercials. So here's a video of her first acceptance speech. Press on past the obligatory thank-yous to the "I have had a dream" section.
If I may put on my speechwriter hat for a moment, that's how you write an acceptance speech: tell a story, make a point. Change the world. Words can do that. It's one reason I love them—and Kron—so much.
Whose work are you thankful for? Hit up the comment section below.
Roger Angell: If you're a baseball fan you probably already know he's one of the most colorful and insightful chroniclers of the sport there is. And if you're not a baseball fan, his essays will turn you into one—or at least teach you how the game works. Although my Mets lost the World Series this year, I'm grateful that The New Yorker gave Angell some of its digital real estate to write about it.
MB Caschetta: I spend most of my recreational reading time in periodicals (The New Yorker, Vanity Fair) or nonfiction. But when I had a few days to myself this summer, I plopped myself in a comfy corner and read Caschetta's multiple award-winning first novel, Miracle Girls. Funny, evocative, and moving.
Lin-Manuel Miranda: I saw Hamilton at the Public Theater in February, having bought the last two tickets to that performance about four months earlier. Here's a link to the video that convinced me I had to see it, Lin-Manuel Miranda performing the opening number solo at the White House. Amazing, right? But the fully staged production blew me away. At the end of the performance I attended—three days before the reviews came out—the entire audience leapt to its feet simultaneously. This was not one of those typical New Yorker "let me be the first to get to a taxi" standing O's. It was not a "the people in front of me stood up and now I can't see anything unless I stand too" ovation. It was—for me at least—an acknowledgement that everyone from the writer (Miranda, now a MacArthur-certified "genius") to the performers (Miranda again, alongside a diverse cast of first-rate actor/singer/dancers) had conjured brilliance on that stage. And I would never be able to look at a musical the same way again.
Ron Chernow: I read his House of Morgan decades ago, so already I knew about his amazing power to bring the past to life. But after I saw Hamilton the musical, I had to read the book that started it all.
Lisa Kron: She's made me laugh since I first saw her maybe 30 years ago in her one-woman show 101 Most Humiliating Stories. She's made me cry plenty, too. And laugh-cry at the same time. What would that be, craugh? As hard and as lonely as it is to be a writer sometimes, Kron has kept telling her stories and this year her story-telling won her two Tony Awards—one for writing the book of the remarkable, ground-breaking musical Fun Home and the other for the score, for which she wrote the lyrics with Jeanine Tesori supplying the music. If you were one of the dozen people watching the Tony telecast, you didn't see these awards—they were presented during the commercials. So here's a video of her first acceptance speech. Press on past the obligatory thank-yous to the "I have had a dream" section.
If I may put on my speechwriter hat for a moment, that's how you write an acceptance speech: tell a story, make a point. Change the world. Words can do that. It's one reason I love them—and Kron—so much.
Whose work are you thankful for? Hit up the comment section below.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
The Most Important F-Word
Speechwriters make our living with words, so we’re not
usually at a loss for them. But recently I turned a group of speechwriters into
a slack-jawed, inarticulate mess when I threw the F-word into a conversation.
Where’s the fun in your life? And how does it feed you?
No, not that
F-word.
I asked them how they have Fun. “What do you do when you’re not working?” Four in a row had
the same response: Startled silence, nervous laughter.
Finally one brave soul said he enjoys fly-fishing, “…though
I haven’t had time to do it lately.”
Now, I know our clients are Important People who deserve our
best work. But I also know that I cannot deliver my best work if work is all I
do. So for me, Fun is not optional; it’s an essential part of my schedule. Just
as I boot up my computer every morning, I need to boot up my psyche regularly.
It’s great to have a big hobby like fly-fishing (N.B.: the fish
may disagree). But we can find plenty of joy in the smaller, less
time-consuming things we do. My own list includes: Playing with the dog.
Reading The New Yorker. Singing. Doing
needlepoint. Going to the theatre. Watching a baseball game (preferably one my
team wins). Hanging out with my sweetheart. Writing something just for myself,
not my clients. Laughing.
Incorporating these simple joys into my life makes me a
happier, more creative person. And ultimately a much better writer.
Where’s the fun in your life? And how does it feed you?
Friday, October 9, 2015
Freelance on Purpose
Yesterday I sat through one of those "Where are the Women in Profession X?" panels. In this case the profession was speechwriting. Someone asked a question about women freelancers and one of the panelists - an executive recruiter (female) - replied that women "opt out" of corporate jobs because they have babies and rich husbands. My hand shot up the air so fast I nearly dislocated my shoulder.
I have been a freelance speechwriter for over 25 years - and, I should note, I've been a woman for far longer than that. I have awards and an enviable client list, but I have never had a rich husband. Or children.
It's true I didn't exactly choose this life at first. To paraphrase Shakespeare, "Some have freelancing thrust upon them." But once I was in the game, I made the choice to stay. I love it - the freedom to create my own schedule, the range of subjects I get to address. Rather than focusing on one company in one industry, I get to explore many.
About a year into my freelance career, an executive recruiter called about an in-house speechwriting job. My quick "no, thank you" surprised him. Maybe he assumed, like the woman on yesterday's panel, that I was knee-deep in diapers - or diamonds. (Or both. With a rich husband, why choose just one?) I told him, "I just like knowing that when somebody barks at me, it's only my dog."
I'm not a freelancer by default; I'm a freelancer on purpose. I chose this career because it feeds me. How about you?
I have been a freelance speechwriter for over 25 years - and, I should note, I've been a woman for far longer than that. I have awards and an enviable client list, but I have never had a rich husband. Or children.
It's true I didn't exactly choose this life at first. To paraphrase Shakespeare, "Some have freelancing thrust upon them." But once I was in the game, I made the choice to stay. I love it - the freedom to create my own schedule, the range of subjects I get to address. Rather than focusing on one company in one industry, I get to explore many.
About a year into my freelance career, an executive recruiter called about an in-house speechwriting job. My quick "no, thank you" surprised him. Maybe he assumed, like the woman on yesterday's panel, that I was knee-deep in diapers - or diamonds. (Or both. With a rich husband, why choose just one?) I told him, "I just like knowing that when somebody barks at me, it's only my dog."
I'm not a freelancer by default; I'm a freelancer on purpose. I chose this career because it feeds me. How about you?
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Can you pass the pronoun test?
Thanks to whoever is behind the blog "One Hot Mess" for inventing my new favorite game. Take any story about a successful woman, and swap out the pronouns. Does it sound ridiculous?Congratulations! You've discovered gender bias, hiding in plain sight.
The genius behind "One Hot Mess" treats us to a New York Times story about Wimbledon champ Serena Williams, rewritten as if it were about Super Bowl champ Tom Brady. Here's a sample:
"Brady, who will be vying for the Super Bowl title against Russell Wilson on Saturday, has large biceps and a mold-breaking muscular frame, which packs the power and athleticism that have dominated men's football for years. His rivals could try to emulate his physique, but most of them choose not to. Despite Brady's success - a victory Saturday would give him four Super Bowl wins - body-image issues among male players persist, compelling many players to avoid bulking up."
When you're done reading the whole story, have some fun re-gendering your favorite news stories. And then, if you're feeling lucky, go take a look at some of your own writing. You might stop laughing then. But maybe you'll also stop unconsciously (I'm sure you're good people, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt) perpetuating stereotypes.
It's a challenge we should all take on, whatever the state of our biceps.
The genius behind "One Hot Mess" treats us to a New York Times story about Wimbledon champ Serena Williams, rewritten as if it were about Super Bowl champ Tom Brady. Here's a sample:
"Brady, who will be vying for the Super Bowl title against Russell Wilson on Saturday, has large biceps and a mold-breaking muscular frame, which packs the power and athleticism that have dominated men's football for years. His rivals could try to emulate his physique, but most of them choose not to. Despite Brady's success - a victory Saturday would give him four Super Bowl wins - body-image issues among male players persist, compelling many players to avoid bulking up."
When you're done reading the whole story, have some fun re-gendering your favorite news stories. And then, if you're feeling lucky, go take a look at some of your own writing. You might stop laughing then. But maybe you'll also stop unconsciously (I'm sure you're good people, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt) perpetuating stereotypes.
It's a challenge we should all take on, whatever the state of our biceps.
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